Fellowship-Trained Foot & Ankle Surgeon

Dr. J. Kent
Ellington

MD, MS FAAOS Board Certified Charlotte, NC

Over 20 years of experience in advanced foot & ankle reconstruction, ankle replacement, trauma, and sports medicine — helping patients regain their lives, one step at a time.

20+
Years of
Experience
100+
Orthopaedic
Products Designed
60+
Peer-Reviewed
Publications
J. Kent Ellington, MD, MS Foot & Ankle Reconstruction · Charlotte, NC
⭐ Top Doctor 2026

Surgeon. Inventor.
Innovator.

Dr. J. Kent Ellington is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and fellowship-trained foot and ankle specialist at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, NC, where he serves as Medical Director of the Foot and Ankle Institute.

He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Carolinas Medical Center and his fellowship in foot and ankle reconstruction under the renowned Dr. Mark Myerson at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore — one of the most prestigious foot and ankle programs in the world.

Dr. Ellington earned his M.D. with Honors and Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and holds both B.S. (Honors) and M.S. degrees in Biology from UNC Charlotte. He is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at Atrium Health and serves as team physician for multiple professional and collegiate athletic programs.

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Nationally Recognized Repeatedly named Top Doctor by Charlotte Magazine and SouthPark Magazine, including 2026.
🔬
Inventor & Innovator Designed or co-developed over 100 orthopaedic products with over $1.5 billion in cumulative sales, nearing 30 patents.
🌍
Global Lecturer Lectures regionally, nationally and internationally, and has taught courses across the US, Europe, and beyond.
30
Issued & Pending Patents
Orthopaedic IP
4.6★
Patient Rating
600+ Reviews
$1.5B+
Cumulative Product Sales
Designed Products
8+
Sports Teams Served
Pro & Collegiate
Team Physician For
NASCAR – Stewart-Haas Racing NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA UNC Charlotte Wingate University Johnson C. Smith University Winthrop University
Areas of Expertise

Conditions & Treatments

Dr. Ellington treats the full spectrum of foot and ankle conditions — from everyday injuries to the most complex reconstructive cases. Patients travel from across the country for his expertise.

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Ankle Replacement
  • Total ankle replacement
  • Revision ankle replacement
  • Total talus replacement
  • Custom implants
  • Ankle arthritis management
🏃
Sports Medicine
  • Achilles rupture & tendonitis
  • Ankle instability & ligament repair
  • Cartilage preservation (OCD)
  • Foot/ankle arthroscopy
  • Athletic injuries (all levels)
👣
Forefoot Reconstruction
  • MIS bunion correction
  • Hammertoe / clawtoe correction
  • Hallux rigidus
  • Metatarsalgia
  • Neuroma
🔩
Trauma & Reconstruction
  • Pilon & tibia fractures
  • Post-traumatic arthritis
  • Stress fractures
  • AVN treatment
  • Acute fracture care
🦶
Arch & Deformity
  • Flatfoot (adult) correction
  • High-arch feet correction
  • Charcot foot/ankle
  • Limb salvage & lengthening
  • Spatial frame (Ilizarov)
⚙️
Complex & Revision
  • Revision foot/ankle surgery
  • Paralytic conditions / drop foot
  • Tendon transfers
  • Congenital deformity correction
  • Minimally invasive techniques

Trained by the
Best in the World

Fellowship
Foot & Ankle Reconstruction
Mercy Hospital, Institute for Foot & Ankle Reconstruction — Baltimore, MD
Under Dr. Mark Myerson — world-renowned foot & ankle pioneer
Residency
Orthopaedic Surgery
Atrium Health – Carolinas Medical Center — Charlotte, NC
Resident Teaching Award recipient
Medical Degree
Doctor of Medicine — With Honors
Wake Forest University School of Medicine — Winston-Salem, NC
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
Graduate
M.S. Biology (Microbiology) — 4.0 GPA
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Undergraduate
B.S. Biology — With Honors
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Current Academic Roles
Associate Professor of Orthopaedics, Atrium Health
Medical Director, OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute
Faculty, Fellowship in Foot & Ankle, OrthoCarolina
Clinical Faculty, CMC Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery

🏅 Awards & Recognition

2026
North Carolina's Top Doctors, Charlotte Region — SouthPark Magazine
2023
Top Doctor, Charlotte Magazine; NC Top Doctors, Charlotte Region
2022
NC Top Doctors, Charlotte Region — SouthPark Magazine
2021
Top Doctor, Charlotte Magazine
2018
Invited to International Foot/Ankle Infection Group (ICMPhilly)
2016
Visiting Professor, Harvard Orthopaedic Surgery Department
2010
Invited JBJS Website Creator & Editor — Foot/Ankle
2009
Resident Teaching Award, CMC Orthopaedics
2008
AOA Emerging Leaders Program; Basil Boyd Annual Research Award
2004
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society; Richard L. Burton Research Achievement Award
2003–04
Multiple AAOS & OTA Highlight Papers
Society Memberships
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS) American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery — Board Certified Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Society of Physician Entrepreneurs
Innovation & Invention

Advancing the Science
of Orthopaedics

Dr. Ellington stands at the rare intersection of clinical excellence and medical device innovation — translating surgical insights into technologies used worldwide.

100+
Orthopaedic Products Designed & Developed
~30
Issued & Pending Patents
$1.5B+
Cumulative Product Sales (US & International)
$759M
Strategic Exits Contributed To

Selected Patents

Bone Fixation Implants — Shape Memory Material
Wright Medical Technology
Continuous Compression Fixation Device for Intercalary Structural Augment
Ellington & Leas
Anatomic Osteotomy Wedge — Asymmetric Design
McWilliam, Karnes, Gallen, Ellington
Fixed Bone Plate for Rotational/Translational First Metatarsal Osteotomy
Neutin Orthopedics
Bone & Joint Stabilization Device Features & Delivery Systems
Stecco, Ellington, Castro, Becking
Biodegradable Therapeutic Nanoparticles Containing Antimicrobial Agent
Carolinas Healthcare / UNC Charlotte
Industry Advisory Roles
Stryker — Surgeon Advisory Board Medline — Surgeon Advisory Board Restor3d — Surgeon Advisory Board Pulmera — Surgeon Advisory Board Synthes/DePuy/J&J — Advisory Team
Entrepreneurship
CEO & Co-Founder — Pressio Spine Founder — Tarsal Innovations, LLC Co-Founder — MedTech Innovate $70M+ Capital Raised 1 IPO Completed; 1 Planned 2027
Research & Publications

60+ Peer-Reviewed
Publications

Dr. Ellington has spent over 20 years contributing to the orthopaedic literature. He serves as reviewer for major journals and has authored chapters in leading orthopaedic textbooks.

2024
Initial Safety of Total Talus Replacement Used to Treat Talar Avascular Necrosis
Foot & Ankle International
2024
Nitinol Staple Use in Primary Arthrodesis of Lisfranc Fracture-Dislocations
Foot & Ankle International
2022
Persistent Pain After Hindfoot Fusion
Foot & Ankle Clinics
2021
Cheilectomy With or Without Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane–Umbilical Cord Allograft for Hallux Rigidus
Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics
2019
Nitinol Compression Staples in Foot and Ankle Surgery
Orthopedic Clinics of North America
2019
Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis Using a Titanium Intramedullary Nail with Internal Nitinol Compression
Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery
2018
Functional Results of Open Broström Ankle Ligament Repair Augmented With a Suture Tape
Foot & Ankle International
2018
Radiographic Results of Nitinol Compression Staples for Hindfoot and Midfoot Arthrodeses
Foot & Ankle International
Reviewer
Foot & Ankle International
JAAOS
Techniques in Foot & Ankle
Editor
Foot & Ankle Clinics:
Subtalar Joint (2014)
Book Editor
Author
Coughlin & Mann 7th Ed.
Orthopaedic Knowledge Update
AOFAS Advanced Reconstruction
Active Research Projects
Outcomes following ankle fracture-dislocations (prospective)
Amniox for hallux rigidus (randomized, prospective)
Internal brace for ankle instability
Zimmer Total Ankle Replacement (10-year international study)
Nitinol staples, fusion outcomes
Amniox, peroneal and Achilles (prospective)

Schedule Your
Appointment

Dr. Ellington sees patients at multiple locations throughout Charlotte. New and existing patients are welcome. Many patients travel from outside the region for his expertise in complex foot and ankle conditions.

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Primary Location
OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute
250 N Caswell Rd, Suite 200B
Charlotte, NC 28207
🏥
Practice
OrthoCarolina — Partner
Medical Director, Foot & Ankle Institute
📞
Appointments
Schedule online via OrthoCarolina MyChart
or call OrthoCarolina directly

Ready to Take the First Step?

New patients welcome. Schedule online in minutes — no referral needed for most conditions.

Book Appointment Online →

Clinic Locations

⭐ Foot & Ankle Institute
250 N Caswell Rd, Suite 200B
Charlotte, NC 28207
South Park
5935 Carnegie Blvd, Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28209
University
9848 North Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28262
Mallard Creek Surgery Center
9848 North Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28262
Patient Portal

Existing patients can manage appointments, view records, and message the care team through MyOrthoCarolina.

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